


Learning to Care: Option One

by LadyNoLuck



Series: Learning to Care [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daycare, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2014-04-11
Packaged: 2018-01-18 23:05:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1446130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNoLuck/pseuds/LadyNoLuck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren copies Levi, and it blows up in Levi's face.<br/>And other stuff.</p><p>A Side Chapter of Learning to Care</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning to Care: Option One

**Author's Note:**

> This is a side chapter of Learning to Care. While you might need to read Learning to Care to read this side chapter, Learning to Care can be read without reading this, but it may give people a better idea of Erwin and Levi's relationship and more information on Ymir and Krista. This was the original Chapter Four, but I realized that it wouldn't work with the direction the story was going. In writing, I got stuck thinking that the chapter would not be long nor meaningful enough for the story that LtC became. Once, I got stuck I started thinking about a lot of things, and then midterms came up, then term papers, and then finals, and before I knew it, it was the end of winter break, and I was still staring at the unfinished chapter, so I started fresh and created the new Chapter Four, which went up in March. This poor piece was orphaned along the way, and I decided that I had to finish it, even if it didn't make the cut for being in LtC. This story takes place late Sept/early Oct before the current Chapter Four and after Chapter Three.  
> So, here is the LtC side story, Option One! Enjoy!

Hange was at a total loss, looking down at the usually happy trio.

On her left, Armin had tears sitting in his eyes, eyes that appeared to have just lost all faith in humanity. On her right, Eren seemed baffled by what was happening, but knew that he had probably done something wrong. The brown-haired boy kept glancing over to the blonde, awaiting an explanation. The ever stoic Mikasa stood between them, each of her hands holding one of the boys’.

Kneeling down to their eye level, Hange waited for someone to start talking, but when no one spoke up first, she said, “Something happened, I presume.”

Mikasa and Armin nodded and turned to Eren, who simply showed them his confusion with a frown and raised eyebrows. Still, no one in the group opened their mouths.

“Come on, guys,” Hange laughed in an effort to lighten the heavy mood, “I am not a mind reader. You have to tell me what is wrong.”

Everyone remained silent. Hange sighed. This was going nowhere.

“You scolding them?” A voice called from behind her. “I will happily deliver their punishment.”

She looked over her shoulder at the smirking teenager. “Levi, I will never let you punish them. Who knows how you will permanently affect them.”

“I don’t hurt kids smaller than me,” he scoffed as he knelt down next to her. Her eyes gleamed with a comeback about his height, so he added, “ _Younger_ than me. So what has Eren done now?”

The boy instantly pouted, to which Levi commented, “If you pout, a bird is going to land there and shit in your mouth.” Eren immediately sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and under his front teeth.

“Levi, _language!_ ” Hange hissed.

“My bad,” he replied as he raised his arms with palms out in a mock surrender. “But honestly, what did the kid do today?”

Eren crossed his arms over his chest and answered, “I didn’t do anything! I didn’t take Armin’s toys. I didn’t hit him. I didn’t call him names—“

“Yes, you did!” Armin angrily interjected, his uncharacteristic outburst surprising the two daycare workers.

“No, I didn’t!” Eren volleyed back.

Before the conversation became a never-ending “Yes”-“No” argument, Mikasa squeezed both of their hands, her nails digging into their skin. Their yelps of pains were followed by an obedient hush.

The little girl huffed, before stating, “Eren did say something mean to Armin, but I don’t think he knew it was a mean thing to say.” Still holding Eren’s hand in it, she raised her hand at Levi. “It is something you say to Eren. I am not saying it because I don’t know how bad a word it is.”

Suddenly, their prior silence made sense to Hange. Neither of the two children had wanted to repeat the word. Despite that being an interesting tidbit she would have typically commented on, the teenage girl was instead glaring at Levi with hellfire in her eyes.

“What, pray tell, did you teach an innocent kindergartener, Levi?” she inquired, emphasizing every syllable, sounding like the calm before a storm.

The older boy moved a bit away from Hange. “I can’t think of anything specific—“

“Levi,” she began icily.

“Honestly, Hange, nothing is coming to mind,” Levi explained, truly unable to guess what he had possibly taught Eren. “I don’t call him curse words. I have slipped one out here and there, but I don’t say any of them often enough.”

The little boy let go of Mikasa’s hand and went to Levi’s side. “Levi didn’t say anything bad!” he contended. “All he calls me is a ‘brat!’”

Mikasa quickly pointed her glower at Levi, as Armin’s eye started to well up again. The teenagers were taken aback by the reactions to what Eren said. It was not like he had said anything bad. All he said was—the realization hit them like a ton of bricks. Hange relaxed, sighing in relief.

“That word that Eren just said is not a bad word,” Hange explained, before turning to Levi and glaring, “However, it is not a nice word to say. It is a mean way that older people refer to kids.”

Eren gave her an incredulous look before gazing in uncertainty at the older boy.

Rubbing his hand down his face, he asked the kindergartener, “You didn’t know that ‘brat’ was an insult?”

Eren visibly deflated. “You were calling me a mean name?” Much like Armin’s had earlier, turquoise eyes began to fill with tears.

An unfamiliar emotion rattled through Levi as he watched a tear slide down the boy’s cheek.

Arms encircled Eren as he was placed into Hange’s chest. “It’s okay. Levi may be a big meanie, but he wasn’t trying to make you upset. He was just teasing you.”

For the rest of Levi’s shift, Eren avoided him like the plague. Usually one to appreciate the moments when Eren’s attention was diverted from him, Levi was suddenly seeking it, the memory of tears crawling down the boy’s cheeks replaying over and over again.

_What is this?_

* * *

“Motherly instinct, I’d say.”

Levi punched Erwin in the upper arm, but with far less force behind it than usual. “Don’t give me that crap.”

Erwin smiled around his cigarette as he took a drag, blowing out a stream of smoke before replying, “Well, it’s something like that. You never call me over for a smoke, and it’s about a five-year-old. You are like a worried mother hen.”

At the man’s comment, Levi pushed the ashed end of his half-finished cigarette into the tray. “I can’t even smoke with you saying shit like that.”

“If you’re the mother hen, does that mean I’m the rooster?”

“Neither of us are poultry.”

“Since both of us are still alive, we are actually considered fowl, not poultry,” Erwin offered.

“Are you a fucking animal science major or something? Hange’d be the hen, and I’d be the rooster anyway. You aren’t even on this figurative farm.”

“Political science, not animal science, but most people see no difference,” Erwin laughed at his own joke, “Hange is not a mother hen. She’s a mother lioness, protecting her cubs. You are the mother hen that she keeps around for a snack.”

“God, I need a beer,” Levi groaned, “All I wanted was to talk about the deal with Eren, and you start making farm metaphors.” He got up from the chaise that he was sitting on. “Want one?”

“Can I stay over?”

Levi grimaced, “Can’t you just walk up the street to stay with your parents?”

“If you are willing to let me stay, I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

Levi did not comment on his decision and left Erwin alone on his back porch, only to return with two opened beers a minute later. “Because I am feeling charitable.”

“You’ve gone soft, mother hen,” the man said over the rim of his bottle.

“You’ve gone stupid, blondie.”

“Dumb blonde jokes are below you.”

“Was that a crack at my height?” the teenage boy glared suspiciously.

“Not at all. I wouldn’t dare _belittle_ you.”

“Fuck you, Erwin. I need your advice, and you just insult me.”

The man raised his hands up in surrender. “I’m done for now. Go ahead.”

After a moment of thought punctuated by a swig of beer, Levi asked, “So what should I do?”

“About your call to motherly action or the kindergartener?”

“Eren.”

“Just talk to him.”

Levi rolled his eyes at him, “Kind of how I got into trouble in the first place. Option two?”

“No, really. No option two. You have known him for a month now, and you have snapped and cursed probably more than you have breathed around him, but he still hangs around. I think that, if you just sit down and talk to him, one-on-one, your feelings will get across.”

“What feelings?”

“Guilt,” he sipped his drink, “That you are sorry.”

Levi chose to take a gulp then and did not answer, so Erwin continued.

“As much as you say you don’t care. You are sorry for hurting the little guy’s feelings. You never really meant any harm by calling him that. It’s just your disposition to be an asshole, even to people you like. If you really hated Hange and I as much as you say you do, we’d be taking a dirt nap by now.”

In contemplation, the boy sipped lightly at his beer.

“Just tell him what is on your mind.”

* * *

The weekend proceeded slowly, after his Friday night discussion with Erwin, who had later fallen into a drunken stupor on his bed. Levi may be considered one of the best fighters in the area, but even he could not move the large college student, so he ended up taking a couch downstairs instead. He spent most of the weekend with Erwin, so much in fact the house was starting to smell like some seedy bar with all the alcohol and cigarettes they went through. Erwin never smoked or drank with his college friends, but he got smoked up and wasted before nine when he stayed over at Levi’s.

Levi was often worried he was dealing with a binge drinker and smoker, but Erwin waved it off with the “can’t risk my reputation” card, explaining that no one would ever catch them when they are at Levi’s house, especially since Levi’s parents never said anything about the missing alcohol and just restocked it instead. Levi really did not like alcohol, but getting a soft buzz was nice when he is especially stressed out or with Erwin, both sometimes being mutually inclusive.

Monday came eventually as it naturally would, and Levi skipped school, with Erwin calling in a dentist appointment for him. Every administrator would believe whatever lie Erwin spewed like it was their life’s work to praise the saint that is Erwin Smith just because he had gotten straight A’s since preschool, was the president of almost every club and council that mattered, and scored full marks on the ACT and SAT. Levi did have to admit that it had its advantages, like getting to sleep in on bad hangover days.

When two-thirty rolled around, he had Erwin drive him to the daycare. It was the time for reckoning.

* * *

Levi waited for an opening, sipping one of the apple juice boxes he stole from the fridge. Mikasa and Armin had winged Eren, making a sort of impenetrable barrier, so the teenage boy could not approach with any hope of talking with Eren, who was avoiding all eye contact with him.

“Are you supposed to be drinking that?”

With an annoyed voice, he answered, “No, Ymir.”

“Can I have one then?” the freckled girl asked, even though she already was grabbing a box from the fridge.

“Where’s Krista?”

Ymir pulled up a chair next to him. “Sleeping. She was talking nonstop before she fell asleep.”

The teenager almost dropped his drink. “ _Krista talks?!_ ”

The girl gave him a disappointed look as if it was common knowledge. “Of course she does. She’s _two_.”

“But I have only seen her cry.”

“She doesn’t know you that well. Why would she talk to you?”

Tapping the tip of the straw on his lips, he nodded, “I guess that makes sense. Can she walk, too?”

Ymir smiled, “Yeah, she can even run! She is just selfish. Likes being carried around. Her mom says I spoil her, and that’s why she is like this. I don’t mind it though, so I don’t care.”

He nodded again agreeing with her, glancing over at Eren who was still drawing, a bit slower now.

Ymir paused and loudly said, “Oh yeah.”

“What?” Levi turned his attention to Ymir.

“My mom said to tell you to tell your mom that the Christmas party is at our place this year.”

“The Christmas party?” Levi gave a confused look. His family did not go to parties usually.

“The neighborhood one. The one for grown-ups. I told her that there was a new guy named Levi who frowned a lot. She said your parents were friends of hers, so she wanted me to tell you about the party because your parents are out of town.”

Then Levi remembered last year when his parents were actually home for the holidays. Stiffly, they had Christmas, and the day after they went out for some party, “the Langnar party.” He barely remembered it because he and Erwin got drunk off their asses in Erwin’s basement after both their parents left for the party.

_But…_

“My parents won’t be back till after Christmas,” Levi explained apathetically.

“Okay, I’ll tell my mom.”

“Does that mean Krista lives in my neighborhood, too?”

Ymir exclaimed, “Yep! Right next door to me!”

“I see, so—” Approaching footsteps interrupted him, and Levi looked from Ymir.

Eren stopped in front of him, clearly fighting off a pout.

Unsure how to use this opportunity that he desired so much just minutes ago, the older boy merely asked, “What is it, Eren?”

The little boy just kicked at the ground, head facing the side, away from Levi. Looking over Eren’s shoulder, Levi saw that Mikasa and Armin were watching the situation from afar, surprise in their eyes. A few more moments passed, but Eren kept stabbing the toe of his tennis shoe into the floor.

Ymir stood up, “You guys are boring. I’m blowing this popsicle stand.”

“Do kids your age even get that refer—?” Levi’s voice faded out, but his mouth remained slightly ajar.

Eren had taken Ymir’s seat.

_Now, what do I do?_

_“No option two,”_ Erwin’s words came to mind.

Levi heaved a monstrous sigh. “Eren…”

But the kindergartener spoke up then, “You can call me mean names.”

“… Huh?” the teenage boy managed.

Eren finally gazed up at him. “I thought about it. Hange told me to think about it, so I did. All I thought about was that Levi isn’t mean. Levi is nice. So if Levi calls me mean names, he probably didn’t mean it in a mean way. You get mad at me, but you don’t hit me or anything. You yell at me a little, but it is not scary. So, Levi, you can call me whatever you want.”

Levi didn’t answer immediately.

“Levi?” Eren noticed Levi gripping his knees.

The older boy stood up suddenly, picking up his chair and facing it in Eren’s direction, before sitting back down and placing his hands on Eren’s shoulders. The younger boy leaned back, trying to escape the heavy grasp on instinct. Levi’s head stayed hung below his extended arms. He refrained from speaking until Eren stopped squirming.

“No…” he began hesitantly, “No, Eren. Let me be honest. I was calling you a brat in a mean way.” Eren tried to leave, but Levi stiffened his grip. “But not always. When I get mad at you, I do mean it in a mean way, but when you aren’t annoying me, I just say it out of habit.” The daycare worker raised his head and saw tears in the corners of Eren’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I am a really mean guy. Sorry, Eren.”

Suddenly, Levi realized he could very well not be forgiven. Some tears fell down Eren’s cheeks. Some emotion swirled in the pit of Levi's stomach. He loosened his hold on Eren and slowly brought his hands back, resting them in fists on his lap. Wiping at his tears, Eren looked away from Levi.

Eren’s response was obvious now. He began to get up, bending forward to get back on his feet.

Two little arms wrapped around his neck.

He stopped, and Eren embraced him harder.

“D-don’t…” Eren murmured against his neck, trying to keep his voice steady. “Don’t go, Levi.”

Levi slowly sat back down, and the little boy stood before him, clutching his neck without restraint.

Eren sniffled, “Levi, I’m not mad. So, please stay at the daycare.”

Gently pushing Eren away to look him in the eyes, the teenager said, “I’m not leaving. Where did you hear that?”

“Hange said on the phone that you weren’t made to take care of kids because you say bad words. She said you might do better somewhere else. I heard her when I went to the water fountain. So you aren’t leaving?”

“No. Don’t worry about stupid stuff, brat.” As soon as the word left his mouth he regretted it. His eyes widened, and he waited for Eren to respond.

Eren sniffed, and then a giant smile spread across his face like sunlight after the clouds move out of the way. He laughed and hugged Levi again. “Let’s go play, Levi!”

“Yeah.”

* * *

In Hange’s car after their daycare work ended, Hange and Levi rode in silence, until Levi spoke up.

“A fake phone call? Really?”

The jig was up, so the girl sighed, “It all worked out in the end, didn’t it? You should be thanking me.”

“Whatever, Hange.”

**Author's Note:**

> Some Notes:  
> I made Ilse Langnar (from Ilse's Notebook) Ymir's mom because why not and Ymir and Levi's parents are really close, so she needed a last name and mother. The closeness of these families will come up on their own in LtC, but I wanted to get a bit more into it here.  
> Krista is kind of modeled after me as an infant/toddler because I didn't talk nor walk for the longest time, not because I lacked the ability, but because my family spoiled me a bit. My brother (older by 19 months) would use some type of sibling telepathy with me and tell my mother what I wanted, so I didn't talk because I didn't need to. My first word was actually "up," which was related to me not learning to walk for a while because I could get anyone to just carry me. Krista has the same power. She is a spoiled princess with private and public personas, not that Ymir minds...  
> Erwin Smith is odd guy, ne?  
> Hange gets mad at Levi for being stupid sometimes, but she doesn't like seeing people upset or fighting she likes when things are in harmony. So, I feel like she would intervene in small ways to lead to people to make up.  
> The trio were raised in households where language is viewed as very powerful, so they tended to avoid using any negatively connotative words around the kids, so none of them knew whether "brat" was a bad word or not. Mikasa and Armin assumed it was because Levi said it. Eren thought it was a compliment/nickname, which it kind of is. (e.g. Armin's grandfather works at the local college in the English department, and Eren's mom is an English teacher at the middle school and speaks to Eren in English and German at home.)
> 
> There you go! I don't know when I will be able to put out Chapter Five of LtC though I am working on it.  
> Otherwise, please comment, and tell me what you thought!  
> Thank you for reading!  
> See you next time!


End file.
